Week Days
by Morien Alexander
Summary: Yuuri is subjected to "Maou Week- a week in which he has to date a different person each day to find a fiance. Needless to say, he's in for a heck of a ride. But there is a secret plot behind this insanity... (shounen ai) (ultimately YuuWolf)
1. Yuuri vs the Darkness

**Title:** Weak Days  
**Author:** Morien Alexander  
**Pairings:** Yuuri/Gwendal (this chapter), Yuuri/Cherrie, Yuuri/Konrad, Yuuri/Yozak, Yuuri/Gunter, Yuuri/Wolfram...  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kyou Kara Maou or any of the characters. I'm just playing with them.  
**Comments:** Apologies ahead of time for any OOCness... I'm just starting to work with these characters. Also, apologies ahead of time if you're used to seeing Cherrie spelled Cheri, Celi, Cherry, Chery, etc... I like using the spelling Cherrie.

**Week Day 1: Yuuri vs the Darkness**

It was all Cherrie's fault. She had come up with the idea of Maou Week, and (of course) Gunter had thought it was a good idea. So, without asking permission, the two of them passed Maou Week as an official holiday. When Yuuri first heard the name, he was suspicious at once. Anything that he hadn't been included in that used his name was bound to be bad, especially if Cherrie and Gunter were conspiring over it.

As usual, he was right.

Maou Week turned out to be one week in which the Maou dated a different person for six days and on the seventh, chose his fiancé with the traditional open palm slap across the cheek. Yuuri's current engagement with Wolfram would be nullified and he would go home with whomever he chose. Cherrie loved Wolfram, but was eager to shake things up as usual. She decided that she would select the six people and then sit back to enjoy as tempers and humor ran high. It would be better than reading a cheap romance novel, at least!

Wolfram had predictably thrown a fit upon hearing of the plans, but when he was told he would be included, he was slightly mollified. And when told he was a "chicken" by a certain red haired inventor, he threw himself into the idea of Maou Week- saying that he would win against the other "stupid people" who wanted to compete for Yuuri's love.

Yuuri sighed to himself as he stopped in front of the door to the room where he would meet his date of the day. Knowing Cherrie, there was probably someone completely ridiculous behind that door- Ulrike or Greta or something. He figured on getting through the week and then somehow escaping on the seventh day so that he would not have to choose, and his (accidental) engagement to Wolfram would be declared void. Not that he disliked the other boy, but being engaged to a guy was just a little weird.

Heaving another great sigh, Yuuri pushed open the doors to greet his date...

...and was promptly horrified.

Gwendal looked over his shoulder from where he stood at the window, and glared mysteriously at Yuuri.

Yuuri, in turn, smiled back weakly. He cleared his throat. "Ah- Gwendal... are you here to escort my date?" he asked without much hope.

The wrinkles on Gwendal's forehead increased by four. "No."

"Th-then you're my... DATE!" Yuri gave a little shriek, despite having already known the answer.

"Hn."

"Aah..." Yuuri sighed a little at his own inadequacy to make light of the situation. He was flighty (nervous, moody, ADD) at times and had a bad habit of showing his feelings on his face. "W-well... ah..."

"I have no time for this," Gwendal huffed, turning away from his king.

"What did she threaten you with?" Yuuri asked suddenly, blushing faintly.

"Excuse me?"

"What did Cherrie-sama threaten you with?" Yuuri smiled a little. "She had to have something on you to get you to do this." He thought for a moment while Gwendal stared at him, as close to gaping as Gwendal could get. "Did she threaten to dress you up like she used to do with Wolfram?"

A snort in the negative.

"To take away your allowance?"

"What makes you think she threatened me with anything?" Gwendal growled. "I can make judgments on my own and I chose to do this out of respect for my mother and her ridi-her decisions."

"She would promise you as Anissina's permanent guinea pig?"

Gwendal choked. "W-w-what!"

"Aaah, so that's it." Yuuri nodded wisely. "You don't want to be here, but the threat of Anissina is just too much for you." He clicked his tongue twice and rubbed his chin, confident that he had learned the truth. "What a shame. We could have had so much fun, but I'll let you off the hook." Secretly, he was hoping to get away from spending more time than necessary alone with Gwendal. He trusted the man with his life... but not with his heart.

Gwendal coughed discreetly, trying to regain his poise. "No, Heika. I have chosen a schedule for this day, and we will follow it through until the very end." He turned around with such a glare that poor Yuuri nearly ran out of the room. His eyes softened, though, at the sight of the cute boy. He could never resist cute things. Picking up a basket and his sword, he strode over to his king. "Are you prepared?"

"For what?"

"I intended to have a picnic in the forest, and then return for tea."

"S-sounds wonderful," Yuuri said weakly. The idea of the picnic and tea appealed to him, but being alone with Gwendal (especially on a romantic date!) with nothing to talk about was hardly his idea of a good time. With his luck, Gwendal would also invite him to go hunting some sort of cute animal and Yuuri would burst into tears and then they'd come back and Gwen would tell Wolfram how much of a wimp he had been and then he would never-

"The horses are ready downstairs." Gwendal held out an arm, his cheeks turning a pale shade of rose. "Come," he commanded.

Yuuri took his arm hesitantly, glancing sideways up at the bigger man. Gwendal led him down through the palace, steadfastly ignoring any squealing maids or jealous glances from... well... whoever might be around. Yuuri kept his eyes trained on the ground. He wasn't sure whether he was humiliated at being seen as the more girly of the two, or flattered that Gwendal was being such a gentleman. His mother had always said that a gentleman is a hard thing to find unless they fall into your lap like they did with her.

They reached the already laden horses in record time. Though Yuuri knew how to ride, Gwendal somehow felt that it was necessary to lift his king up by the waist and carefully place him on Ao's back. Both of them blushed furiously and said nothing in the awkward silence. The horses moved around a little and in the distance, someone was shouting about a cake... Gwendal coughed. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, of course," Yuuri said quickly.

The dark haired man made a grumbling sound and nudged his horse in the direction of the forest.

It was a little over an hour before they reached the spot that Gwendal had picked out. Yuuri had been enjoying the silence of the woods, punctuated occasionally by birds singing or an animal passing through the undergrowth. The sun was shining, and Ao's neck was warmer to the touch than usual. They entered a clearing, and the first indication that Yuuri had of it being the picnic spot was Gwendal turning his horse to walk around the center instead of passing straight through it. A wood duck flapped up into the air, followed by its mate.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes."

They dismounted, and Gwendal began to unpack the supplies. Yuuri seated himself on an old stump and watched. Ao and Gwendal's horse wasted no time before they began munching the newest patches of grass.

Yuuri leaned back, feeling quite relaxed in the warm air. It had only just turned over from winter to spring, and there was just a little bit more joy in warm weather than usual. "So, Gwendal," he began, looking at the sky instead of the other man "did Cherrie-sama pick you, or are you doing this of your own accord?"

There was a grumble for a reply.

"I mean it... I want to know." The Maou shifted his gaze. "I mean, did people come running to Cherrie-sama to volunteer for this, or did she pick who I am going to have to choose from?"

Gwendal heaved a deep sigh, as if annoyed that he had to actually speak. "She chose everyone except two."

"Which two?"

"It doesn't matter. You just have to select your fiancé. That's all."

"No, it matters to me." By now, the picnic blanket had been spread out, and Yuuri moved over to sit on it. It was a very cute knitted blanket with a picture of some animal (cat? bear?) playing in a field on it. From what he had seen of Gwendal's study, Yuuri assumed that he had made it. "It matters because then I can know who really wants to be with me and who is just acting on orders."

"No one is just acting on orders," snapped the older man. "Even if she selected a person, they want to-" he stopped and growled something indistinctly.

Yuuri laughed out loud and it echoed around the clearing. "So you wouldn't mind being my fiancé?"

Gwendal gave him a disgruntled look, but pink bloomed on his cheeks as he handed Yuuri a glass of wine. The boy took it, trying not to make a face. He didn't like the taste of wine, but it was hard to tell that to people in a land where custom dictated a general use of the stuff. He sipped it gingerly and then smiled at Gwendal.

"It's good."

"You don't like it."

"No! Well... yes... but... I like this." Yuuri gestured to the surroundings. "I like this place... this day... and it's nice to be with you." He surprised himself by actually meaning it, too.

Gwendal didn't answer, but instead scooted closer to Yuuri and actually smiled.

It was late afternoon when they reached Blood Pledge Castle again. They settled into one of the many studies with a pot of tea, and Yuuri began to talk at, rather than with Gwendal.

"...and then we both said, ALCOHOL!" he burst into laughter and was rewarded by Gwendal's second smile that day. Though to be quite fair, the smile was in return for the laughter and not the amusing story.

"Heika..."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that. Just for today." Yuuri was in an extremely good mood, and looked quite comfortable tucked into an easy chair with a steaming mug of tea in his hands. "It's Yuuri."

Gwendal nodded slightly. "Yuuri." He then paused and continued hesitantly. "Would you like to hear a story about my brother when he was little and cute?"

"Conrad?" Yuuri sat forward.

"Wolfram."

"Oh..." the Maou paused for a moment and then nodded, smiling. "You usually don't like to talk."

"It's a..." Gwendal looked down. "It's a gift for you."

Yuuri blushed and then nodded again. "All right. Tell me."

"Conrad and I helped our mother to give birth. She was heavy with Wolfram at the time, but still liked to party as always. We were on our way to one of these parties and she suddenly fell off her horse. So we delivered Wolf right there in the forest." He paused at Yuuri's somewhat pained expression. "I'm not going to tell you the specifics, but he was ugly when he was born. Squalling, pale infant... I wanted nothing to do with him at first.

"But as the days turned into weeks, he became the darling of the castle. Everyone loved him. He looked like a little angel with his golden hair as a halo and big green eyes like cat's eyes. And he only grew more beautiful each day.

"The only thing was... he also grew brattier. He would yell if something was not done his way... or if someone had said something mean about him. And as a fire elemental- pre training- he would explode things without quite meaning to. But there was one thing he loved. Dogs. Of course, he would not stop whining to mother until he had one.

"I have always had a fondness for cats. They're elegant, thoughtful, and very cute. Dogs... are fairly cute, too, but they have bad habits- like being fond of everyone, and licking your face, and running away to roll on something that smells awful. But somehow Wolfram loved dogs.

"I had two cats at that time- Blackie and Brownie."

Yuuri snickered and was ignored.

"Blackie and Brownie were allowed the run of the castle until Wolfram brought in his dog Ma-kun. Ma-kun... was a terror to my cats. He was a big dog with grey and white markings that made him appear almost wolfish. But- like all dogs- he was extra friendly to all humans and very loyal to Wolfram. My poor Blackie and Brownie were extremely frightened of him. He would chase them down the halls with his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth until they climbed a curtain or wriggled through a mostly closed door.

"I used to get very angry with Wolfram for allowing his dog to terrorize my cats, but everyone else in the castle seemed to think it was very funny. Until the day of the ball...

"My mother, as you know, likes to host balls, parties, ceremonies- anything with lots of people who will pay attention to her. She had this particular ball about a month after Wolfram acquired Ma-kun. Everyone was supposed to be dressed in their best and attending to dance and chatter in the ballroom.

"Conrad and I were trying to best each other as to who looked more like a real swordsman, and our friend Gunter had come to oogle Wolfram."

"He doesn't change much does he?"

Gwendal sniffed and continued. "Wolfram was positively angelic in a blue fur-lined tunic and white pants. Everyone crowded around him, patting his head- driving him crazy with their constant touching. Finally, he ducked out of a circle of old ladies who had been pinching his cheeks and gave a shrill whistle for Ma-kun.

"Unfortunately, Blackie and Brownie were taking seats of honor in the ball room, as they had been a gift from some great lord to me- and that lord wanted to see them again. As soon as Ma-kun came barreling into the room, my cats were frightened out of their wits, and ran up the closest thing near them... which happened to be my mother."

Yuuri began to laugh.

"Of course she was wearing something expensive and slinky with a single strap holding it up, and the cats clawed their way up her body, leaving brilliant red streaks across her b- her ... her ...shoulders. In trying to get away from Ma-kun, they climbed to the very top of her head and sat there hissing and clinging to her carefully piled hair.

"And then, the single strap snapped and her dress fell completely off, to the horror of the ladies and the very evident delight of the men."

Yuuri was in tears with laughter.

"And Wolfram? He stood there and said quite loudly, 'Stop staring at Mama's titties!'"

Now, Yuuri fell out of his chair, face contorted beautifully in what could only be termed the greatest of laughter. He gasped for air like a fish and his face turned red as he held his stomach in from all the hilarity.

Gwendal sat back and a smile ghosted over his face. It wasn't usual that he spoke so long, but Yuuri obviously liked to hear that kind of tale, and he had successfully entertained his majesty for his part of Maou Week. He felt very satisfied due to the smiles and laughs that had come from his king. Though he wasn't adverse to becoming the Maou's consort, he really had another person in mind. Now, though, this day had been a complete success, and he felt rewarded.

Yuuri finally stood up, chuckling. "Oh, Gwen, you tell the best stories..." He brushed off his pants and put his empty cup on the table.

"Are you off to bed then, Heika?"

"I have a little studying that I promised Gunter I would do each day."

"I see."

Impulsively, Yuuri flung his arms around Gwendal's neck, hugging him tightly. "I had a great time."

Gwendal pushed away a little, his eyes serious. "Don't... pick me, heika."

"Gwen?"

"I will be your friend, advisor, brother, but I cannot be yours."

"I know." Yuuri smiled. "And I had a great time being your friend.

"Does this mean that I will not escort you back to your room?"

"I can find my way." Yuuri smile grew wider. "But I do have a request for you."

"What is that?"  
The Maou tilted his face up childishly, and in the firelight, he looked younger than his years. "Kiss me. It's a tradition for ending a date in my world."

Gwendal blushed brightly and then nodded. Silently, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Yuuri's. It was warm, almost perfect. Exactly what he wanted from... someone else. Yuuri melted a little into the embrace and then pulled back rather sharply- resulting in a loud smacking sound.

Both men laughed quietly.

"Who is it tomorrow?" Yuuri asked, his eyes serious.

"My mother."

**To be continued...**


	2. Yuuri vs the Giants

**Title: Weak Days: Yuuri vs The Giants  
Author: Morien Alexander  
Rating: PG  
Pairing: Yuuri/Cherrie (Yuuri/everyone, ultimately Yuuri/Wolfram)  
Genre: Romance, very mild humor  
Chapter: Chapter 2: Yuuri vs the Giants  
Comments: Shortish chapter, I think a little more of the Secret Plot is revealed here... dun dun dun! I love Cherrie. She needs more love. And the title... Yuuri vs The Giants refers to her gigantic breastacles.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Yuuri vs The Giants**

* * *

When Cherrie finally dragged him out from hiding under his bed, Yuuri was brilliantly red. He usually didn't go to such extremes to avoid an uncomfortable position, but dating Cherrie promised to be far beyond uncomfortable. In fact, it seemed to lead into the realm of "undeniable anguish." And now not only was he embarrassed to be with her, he was also completely humiliated to be pulled out from under his own bed by the "Sexy Queen."

"Come out, cute Yuu-chan!" chirruped Cherrie, jerking his legs so that his whole body slid forward. He let out a muffled howl of dismay, but resigned himself to the fact that she had him.

"Yuuuuuuri-chaaaan..." she said rather sulkily as he came out (dusty). "Why won't you come play with meeeeee..."

"Ah... Cherrie-sama..." Yuuri hadn't thought that when she caught him, he'd actually have to explain why he was hiding under the bed. He scrambled for a response. "I was... ah... my... my contacts! They were... under the bed..." He finished weakly as she grabbed him and stuffed his head between her breasts (as usual).

"You just don't LIKE me!" she squealed, and he couldn't tell whether it was a squeal of delight or anger. But he did feel his nose knocking against her breastbone. And for once, he wished that Wolfram would come save him. "I'm just like my son, you know!" she purred, pushing him away and looking at him brightly. "Wolfie and I look just alike!"

"Not... quite..." Yuuri said, his face a brilliant pink.

"Of course I am more mature than he is..." She stood up suddenly, allowing a generous glimpse of her leg. "Oooooo I have a great idea!"

Yuuri remained on the floor until he felt his arm being ripped nearly out of its socket. So he stood up. And remained as far away from the Sexy Queen's Sexy ... uh... shoulders... as he could.

"I'm going to show you baby pictures of my boys!"

It seemed to him like a very strange idea of a date, but it didn't involve anything nasty, or a huge party, or lots of jewels, so he agreed readily. He wondered how on earth Cherrie had gotten photos of her children in Shin Makoku, too. Maybe Anissina had made some sort of camera device, or there was a type of magic that allowed pictures to be taken. But then again, he hadn't seen any around the castle. So he tagged along, rolling his eyes at anyone who he saw (Conrad, a maid, two pages, some soldier guy, Wolfram). It was really more like an embarrassing big sister pushing him around rather than a date.

By the time they got to the room where she wanted him to go, Yuuri was as red as his own cloak and slightly out of breath. Cherrie was as bright as ever, and bounced a little to emphasize it. It only emphasized her chest, however, which made Yuuri's face an even darker shade of red. "We're here!" she cried happily.

"Here" appeared to be a sort of libraryesque room. There were tall spineless books stacked on end, loose papers piled precariously, and thick volumes with black labels in every corner. Yuuri was a little worried to see some of the larger books tilting dangerously off the tops of shelves. But upon a second look, he found himself overcome by curiosity when he read the spines of some of the thicker books. "Travels with Blonde Men" read one. "Conrad, Diapers, and Anissina in pants" was the title of another. A third caught his interest instantly- "Wolfie in My Dresses."

"What is this place?" Yuuri asked, obviously not having been in that room before.

"It's my picture room, silly," scolded Cherrie, lifting one of the spineless books from its resting place. "I keep all the pictures of my boys here. And some of the men that I've loved..." She smiled fondly at a shelf to the left which held nothing but stacks of paper. "Here, look at this." She sat down cross-legged on the floor and opened the book.

On the thick paper before him was a sketch of a six year old boy. He had something in his mouth and a stuffed rabbit clutched in one hand. He was sitting on what appeared to be a large pillow, and looking drowsily at the artist. It was beautifully rendered, and Yuuri could tell instantly that it was Gwendal. "That's-"

"Gwen," Cherrie glowed with pride. "Wasn't he a darling? It's too bad he's so serious now. The frowns ruin his beautiful face." She flipped the page to show another picture of the dark haired boy, this time hugging a disgruntled looking goose. "He's so fond of cute things, and yet he doesn't try to be cute any more..."

"Who drew these?" Yuuri kneeled on the floor next to her.

"I did," she said offhandedly, turning the page to display a sketch of Gwendal fighting over something with Gunter. "They're just quick little things..."

"They're beautiful," Yuuri said frankly, reverently touching the edge of a page. "You're... you're really good!"

"Of course I'm good!" Cherrie crowed, cuddling closer to her king. "Now look at this book while I find the one that I most wanted to show you." She passed the book into his lap and stood up, moving around the room in her search.

The air was heavy and quiet save for bubbles of laughter coming from Cherrie, and amused murmurs from Yuuri. Someone had opened the windows to let a soft breeze and a great deal of sunlight in. Yuuri found a spot just under a pile of enormous tomes that was lit like a mini amphitheater. He soon blotted out any sounds Cherrie made, as he found himself involved in the animated sketches of the adult palace residents. All of them appeared to be about six to eight years old. Some of them were forced poses, and others simply a passing sketch that must have been done after the event.

He found a particularly impressive picture of Gunter and Conrad curled up together under a blanket. Conrad's little child-hand was closed around Gunter's and the purple haired boy was snoring with his mouth open wide.

A few pages later, there was a magnificent sketch of Conrad on a pony, followed by a quick, sloppy representation of exactly how he fell off. Yuuri giggled.

There were pictures of Anissina experimenting in the kitchen, blowing up the kitchen, and making a mess in the kitchen. She had been tied to one of the table legs, as she was deemed far too destructive for the rest of the palace.

Unfortunately, Gwendal wandered into her lair, and a sketch was made of "before" and one of "after" proving that he did not naturally have bunny ears. He seemed to like them, though, in the following sketches. And then they turned on him with a row of "magical detection teeth" that had mysteriously become embedded in their furry lobes.

The next picture was of Gwendal curled up in a hospital bed with his favorite bunny thrown far across the room.

"Ah! Here we go." Cherrie pulled two volumes off the shelves, grinning widely. She dropped them on the floor, sending up a cloud of golden dust particles that swirled in the light. "Wolfram!"

Yuuri looked down to see the two volumes, one of which was missing a label, the second, labeled "Wolfie in my Dresses." He lifted the unlabeled one first and spread it out across his crossed legs.

The first picture was beyond words.

The most angelic face peered up from the pages. Golden curls surrounded the angel's head, and wide green eyes displayed nothing but innocence. Even his little cherubic lips seemed something out of a baby's first words book rather than a sketch of an actual human being. Yuuri was surprised to find that his breath was taken away.

"He's my favorite to draw," Cherrie said, her voice no longer proud or playful, but quite serious. "He has the face of the Original King... and is quite patient when I ask him to sit for me. Even as a child, he positively glowed."

"He's... beautiful..."

Yuuri turned the page.

This one was a picture of little Wolfram (age four) pretending to spar with Gwendal.

Wolf snuggling a dog (Ma-kun?).

Wolf asleep under a tree in spring, blossoms falling around him.

Wolf peeping out of a hedge.

Wolf fighting with Gunter over a bath.

Wolf running from Anissina.

Yuuri slowly went through the pages, finding himself blushing at the utter beauty of the child. He wasn't supposed to feel attracted to a guy, much less a little boy. But the sketches of Wolfram as a young boy were so beautiful, so innocent... it was a side of Wolf that he had never seen before. He was earnest- the same as now- but with an adventurous side to him. Beautiful... Yuuri blushed more. "I feel like a... pedophile or something..." he said to Cherrie, feeling a little ashamed.

Remarkably, she said nothing, but smiled instead and pushed the second book towards him.

He opened it to yet another breathtaking scene. A sketch of Wolfram in a wedding dress. Or at least, it seemed to be a wedding dress. It was kind of... black. And from behind the dark lace veil, Wolf shone like the sun.

"This is actually all pretty new," Cherrie said quietly. "My aunt really loves to make dresses, and asked Wolfram to be her model. In return, she gave him a trousseau for your wedding."

Yuuri paused on a page that showed Wolfram in a rather revealing nightdress. "We might not be getting married," he said slowly.

"Mmmmm," was the reply, breathed warm against his neck.

He squeeped and moved away to continue looking at the dress book.

Wolfram wore a wide range of beautifully made dresses ranging from the thickly embroidered to the nearly see-through. One was made to look almost like sea foam was dripping off his shoulders as he walked through heavy sand. Another emulated a stroll through the forest by patterning yellow down on green velvet. Yuuri's favorite was a dress that looked like a winter morn- white silk, lace, and glittering sharp angles that protruded like wings off the back of his body.

Throughout the whole book, Wolfram was smiling faintly, as though he was withholding a secret. He looked almost like that boy in the other book- the one who had innocence and love in his very eyes.

Yuuri felt a strange tug at his heart as he closed the book and gazed at the cover.

"You liked it?" Cherrie asked eagerly. "You liked my pretty Wolfie?"

"It was... amazing."

Suddenly, outside, a bell rang loudly. Cherrie jumped up, brushing the dust off of her dress and looking around. "I'm sorry to have to leave you here, Heika... but I have a very important meeting that I need to attend to." She smiled at him fondly. "You can stay here if you like. There are pictures all over. Living as long as Mazoku do has a great return when you want to practice a skill."

And without another word, she left.

Yuuri blinked. "Important meeting without me?"

Suddenly, Cherrie stuck her head back in the door. "My son Conrad is your date tomorrow," she chirruped, and slammed it shut before Yuuri could say anything more.

* * *

Outside the door, Cherrie allowed herself an evil snigger. The Great Plan for the Maou was now in place. And then, she laughed louder and pranced off down the hall to the meeting of the conspirators.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. Yuuri vs the Protector

**Notes: **Sorry this is so late in coming out, but at least it's coming out... ;;

* * *

**Weak Day 3: Yuuri vs the Protector**

* * *

Yuuri hated his hair. Of course, on the day that he wanted it to look nice (date with Conrad!), it looked very much like he had wet it down and then slept on one side all night. Smoothing it with water did nothing, and he found he had to wash his hair very quickly before joining the brown haired man in what he now thought of as the "dating room." So it was a rather wet and harried Yuuri that showed up five minutes after the appointed meeting time, breathing heavily after running all the way from the Maou's bath.

Conrad, apparently, had put his extra time to good use and was currently browsing a novel. He looked up expectantly at Yuuri's arrival, and smiled broadly. "Yuuri..."

Yuuri smiled widely. He could see the tell-tale bulge in Conrad's pocket that meant a baseball. "We're going to toss around a ball?" Yuuri asked, already knowing the answer.

The taller man nodded. "I thought you might appreciate that. After putting up-- I mean, being so considerate to my mother yesterday, I thought it might be nice to relax before I took you into town. I have something to show you, but it can wait until after we play around." He reached over and lifted two baseball gloves from a nearby chair. "The new baseball field is mostly finished." Conrad held out his arm, grinning. "Care to join me?"

Yuuri took his arm with enthusiasm. It was a little weird to be walking around holding another man's arm, but it was certainly his choice of men. If he was to be anyone's "date" for the day, he much preferred Conrad to Gwendal or Cherrie. He wondered a little belatedly what it would be like with Wolfram. At least then, he wouldn't have to be the girl.

On the field, Yuuri felt he could almost breathe easier than in the castle. It didn't make sense- dust clouds the lungs, but he felt more alive there. Moving his body felt good. Traditional positions, that familiar thunk in his glove, the feeling of packed dirt beneath his feet... he loved it.

"How is your mother?" Conrad asked, throwing underhand to warm up.

"Fine, last I saw her," Yuuri replied, easily catching and returning the throw. "She has developed this interest in youkai and went to visit some exorcists. Said she wanted them to take her to see some."

Conrad chuckled and speeded up his pitch. "I doubt she'll be able to see them."

"How come?"

"I expect they'd be shy if she ran up squealing."

Yuuri laughed and threw the ball back to his companion. "Or if she tried to dress them up like she used to do with me."

Conrad grinned and caught the ball without any trouble. "Speaking of dresses... when are you going to tell her of your engagement to Wolfram?"

Yuuri made a face. "I had planned on finding some way to get out of it. I guess I'm out of it now." He squinted. "But what does that have to do with dresses?"

"Oh, I assumed you'd be the one wearing the wedding gown."

Yuuri choked and somehow missed catching the ball.

* * *

It was early afternoon when they entered the town. Conrad bought them both some Maou-buns, and they ate as they walked. Earlier, Yuuri had been told that they were going to have a light lunch and then an early dinner at a restaurant not only famous for the quality of the food, but for the quantity as well. Clearly, Conrad knew what it was like to be a teenage boy. Though technically, he might have been in his nineties when he was going through "teen" years. Yuuri licked his fingers as he contemplated Mazoku age. Considering that Wolfram was eighty-something, how old was he mentally when Yuuri was born? Could Wolfram have already been sword fighting when he was still in diapers? The idea scared him a little.

"Here we are," Conrad said, interrupting Yuuri's thought process.

"Here" was a narrow grey building near the heart of town. It had blue and black tracery around the windows. The door itself was painted a sort of shimmering black. Despite the vague creepiness of a black door, Yuuri could sense that it was a place of some wealth. Over the door hung a sign in the Mazoku tongue that Yuuri couldn't decipher. "What does it say?"

"Central Orphanage," Conrad said, moving over to the door and rapping loudly with his knuckles.

An orphanage? Strange date indeed. Yuuri chewed his lip thoughtfully. Well, he did trust Conrad, so of course he would follow the man to wherever. But it was a little odd.

A little girl with braided hair answered the door. She looked up at Conrad and then squealed, throwing herself against his legs. "Uncle Con-con!"

Yuuri could feel one eyebrow raising.

"Hey, Gaerta..." Conrad swung the child up to his face and smothered her cheeks with kisses, much to her delight. "I brought you and the others a new friend."

"Another uncle?" Her eyes lit up.

"Uncle Yuuri."

"Yu-chan!" she chirruped.

Yuuri smiled at her. It was impossible not to enjoy the fresh young face and burbling laughter of this little girl. And then, suddenly, she seemed to multiply.

Three other little girls and two little boys of varying ages showed up at the door, clambering for Conrad's attention. Some of them called him Weller-kyo, while others called him "Nunkie Conwad." He seemed to enjoy it immensely. Each child got attention- a pat on the head, kisses on the cheeks, a warm hug.

Yuuri felt intensely sappy looking at the scene.

"This is your new Uncle Yuuri," Conrad said by way of introducing the Maou. "He is the ruler of this land, too."

The youngest of the crowd was clutching an over-sized teddy bear. Her eyes were round and brilliantly blue. "Wew's Wuffie?" she asked Yuuri. "Wuffie pway wiv Bewwa," she added solemnly.

"Uuhhh..." Yuuri wasn't quite sure what she had said.

Seeing his distress, Conrad translated. "Bella wants to know where Wolfram is. He often comes to play with her."

"Wolfram!" Yuuri looked stunned.

"Of course," Conrad picked Bella up and slung her over his shoulder, much to her enjoyment. "You didn't think he was naturally good with your Greta did you?"

Yuuri nodded his head mutely.

"He funds this orphanage completely out of his own pocket. After his father died, he left a great deal of money to Wolfram. My brother then put it to good use by founding and continuing to support this establishment. He always comes to play with the children, and actively seeks out homes for them."

Yuuri was silent.

"He may be a brat sometimes, but he loves children."

"He can't change a diaper, though," Gaerta said officiously. "Uncle Wolfie doesn't know what to do with babies."

"Babies are stupid!" one of the little boys cried out before grabbing Yuuri's hand. "Horses are cool! Come see mine!"

Yuuri found himself being dragged inside, his head whirling. The other boy had never spoken of this orphanage. How ... how could he be so different? One moment officious and arrogant, the next playing with Bella and her teddy bear... Yuuri could hardly understand what was going on.

* * *

Over dinner that evening, Yuuri was very quiet.

Conrad let him be so for a while, and then broke into his thoughts carefully. "What's bothering you?"

"I don't get it!" the dark haired boy burst out. "Why does Wolfram act so ... rudely around me and then take care of children like that? All of the kids there seemed to love him. Little Irene had a doll of him for heaven's sake!"

Conrad nodded sagely and then smiled. "I wanted you to see a side of my brother that perhaps you didn't get to see before."

"Why? Isn't this a date with you and me?"

"In a way," the older man said, avoiding the question.

"I don't understand."

"I can't... tell you, Heika," Conrad said firmly. "But you need to get over your squeamishness when it comes to Wolfram. You need to see him as someone both valuable and kind. I helped to raise him. He's my little brother. I love him, and I want you to love him as much as I do."

"But he is always so mean to you!"

"That is not his true nature," Conrad chided. "Yuuri, you know not to judge something by its appearance... or even some actions! If you did, Morgif would not be your sword. You would have banished me. You'd think Gwendal was a bad person!"

Yuuri grumbled a little and poked at a piece of meat on his plate.

Conrad sighed and smiled a little. "Listen, just give him another chance to prove he's not such a little brat."

It was just a little movement, but there was no mistaking Yuuri's nod.

When they returned to the castle, it was already dark. Conrad bid the Maou good night and then caught his arm as the boy turned away. "I meant to tell you... tomorrow your date is Yozak."

"YOZAK!"

**To be continued...**


End file.
